Assistive Technology
Competency 5.06
Kristin Hokanson
“For people without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible.”
Definition of Assistive Technology:
Assistive Technology is a term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices and the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. The use of assistive technology promotes greater independence for people with disabilities by enabling them to perform some task of daily living that tasks they were formerly unable or had great difficulty accomplishing. The definition of assistive technology applied to education is extremely broad, including "any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Both "high-tech" and "low-tech" devices are included in this definition. High-tech devices may be computers, electronic equipment (including tape recorders or dvd players) or software. Although electronically operated, high-tech devices need not be expensive, a simple low-cost switch that controls a battery-operated toy can be considered a high-tech device, as can a tape recorder. Other examples include wheelchairs, reading machines, devices for grasping, etc. In the area of Web Accessibility, common software-based assistive technologies include screen readers, screen magnifiers, speech synthesizers, alternative keyboards and mice, head pointing devices and voice input software.
Assistive Technology Legislation
The mandate to provide assistive technology to children with special needs began with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) which was based on the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision that separate education was not equal education under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. At the time the law was passed by Congress in 1975, nearly 2 million children were excluded from schools in the United States. With this legislation a legal requirement was established for a "free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment" for children with disabilities. Spurred on by this cause, legislators passed the IDEA and ADA acts in 1990, expanding the civil rights and available services for disabled students. In 1997, in response to what was viewed as ineffective progress, legislators passed amendments to the original IDEA to strengthen its impact on the educational process. IDEA has been updated about every five years since its beginnings, the latest of which is the 2004 reauthorization IDEIA (Individual’s with Disabilities Education Improvement Act).
Assistive Technology and IDEIA:
The Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2004 (Public Law 108-446) went
into practice on July 1, 2005. The following are specific parts of IDEIA 2004 that deal
with Assistive Technology.
Section 602 (1) Assistive Technology Device
(a) means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or
improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. (b)The term does not
include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device.
Section 602 (2) Assistive Technology Service
means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection,
acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.
The term includes:
a) The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child’s customary environment;
b) Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities;
c) Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;
d) Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;
e) Training or technical assistance for a child with a disability, or if appropriate, that child’s family; and
f) Training or technical assistance for professionals, (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of that child.
Section 602 (35) Universal Design
The term ‘universal design’ has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 3002)
“a concept or philosophy for designing and delivering products and services that are
usable by people with the widest possible range of functional capabilities, which include
products and services that are directly usable (without requiring assistive technologies)
and products and services that are made usable.”
Section 612 (23) Access to Instructional materials
A (General) The state must adopt the National Instructional Materials Accessibility
Standard for the purposes of providing materials to blind persons or other persons with
print disabilities, in a timely manner after the publication of the National Instructional
Materials Accessibility Standard in the Federal Register.
Section 614 Development of the IEP
(B) Consideration of special factors. The IEP team also shall –
(v) Consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and
services.
From FR Doc. 05–11804 Filed 6–14–05 Accessed February 26, 2007 from URL
IDEA and the Technology Coordinator
Students with special needs are to be provided instruction in an environment that least restricts their ability to participate in activities with non-special-needs peers. As a result of the legislative pieces, disabled/special needs students may spend most of the day in a regular classroom and attend special classes as well. This arrangement goes beyond basic mainstreaming, where the majority of the day would be spent in special classes. An additional result of these acts is the requirement of an IEP, that annually documents an evaluation of the student’s situation, setting goals and parameters to provide appropriate educational services as deemed necessary for the student’s individual needs.
From a technology coordinator perspective, IDEIA mandates require unique and creative solutions to student needs. Depending upon the individual student, an array of low-tech or high-tech devices or services may be required to support the student in the regular education classroom and/or during pull-out instruction. These devices and services are known as Assistive Technology (AT).
PIAT defines An assistive technology device is "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (P.L. 108-364). Assistive devices may be as simple as a piece of foam which makes a spoon easier to grasp, or as complex as a computer that responds to voice commands.. It defines Assistive technology services are "any services that directly assist an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device" (P.L. 108-364). These services may include adapting a toy so that it may be operated by a child with disabilities, installing grab bars for an older person to increase his/her safety in the home, or teaching an individual to use a Braille note-taking device. While responsibility for properly identifying the technology is the responsibility of Special Education personnel. When creating the specific IEP {or 504, etc.} plan the technology coordinator plays an important role as well
The coordinator need to be aware of the needs of a district so that they can keep abreast of existing and emerging technologies and needs to be able to assess them with an eye towards special education applications. IU personnel and local technology coordinator groups are important resources. Another resource, is Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology, PIAT. Although their focus is on increasing awareness and disseminating information for people of all ages and who have all manner of disabilities they are an excellent resource for schools.
Because districts are required by law to provide this type of assistance, and budgets are often tight, the Technology and Special Education departments would need to work closely to provide resources especially as districts begin to implement RTI (Response to Intervention). Administrators need to formulate guidelines for selection and funding to make the most effective use of investments.
Expanding the Awareness of AT
It is essential for Technology Directors to coordinate with special education staff to learn particular needs of the student population. This includes taking inventory of existing technology within the district available for immediate use, and researching options as well as communicating with special educators and administrators to ensure they are aware of the options. As well as communicating with special educators it is important to communicate with administrators at a district-level and building-level administrators regarding the AT needs and services available. When the assistive technology provided requires technical training, the technology coordinator should play a role in providing professional development. An effort should be made to model technologies for special educators, and as well as assisting classroom teachers in providing the least restrictive environment. At times, the technology coordinator may bring in outside resources, such as intermediate units, for meeting AT needs and training.
Conclusion
The least restrictive environment provision of IDEIA serves to draw all instructors into the special education cause, so that instruction of special needs students are not just the responsibility of special education teachers. It takes a group effort now, more so than ever, to meet the mandates of the law. Technology coordinators have a responsibility to communicate the resources at their disposal to support compliance.
References
Behrmann, Michael (1998). Assistive Technology for Young Children in Special Education. Edutopia online. Retrieved February 15, 2007 from URL http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_493
Katsiyannis, A., Yell, M. L., & Bradley, R. (2001). Reflections on the 25th Anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Remedial and Special Education, 22(6), 324+. Retrieved February 10, 2007, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001991844
Pennsylvania's Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) Accessed January 19, 2007 from URL http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/assistive/piat/
